Your fitness is a lifelong journey to help your physical and mental health. Kick-start is a fantastic opportunity to take stock of where you currently are and increase your overall physical activity.
The theme for this year’s Kick-start is Small Steps, Big Change. I love this because it focuses on consistency of effort over time, rather than huge waves of activity, followed by prolonged sedentary periods.
Making big change to your life does require effort over time. We’re often guilty of wanting quick results when it comes to fitness (myself included). The reality is, though, making lifestyle adjustments can be slow and requires patience, but it’s worth the effort because the payoff is a fuller life. Big health changes can result from small steps.
Whether an increased fitness level results in a reduction in blood pressure, a decrease in your resting heart rate, being able to fit into your clothes better, or being less breathless when playing with your grandkids, positive change in your fitness requires you to take action.
For some, Kick-start 2019 may be the beginning of your life’s fitness journey. For others, fitness will already be an established priority. Wherever you’re at right now, welcome aboard and congratulations for taking this important step. No one will be able to do the work for you, but you.
When beginning any fitness programme, it’s helpful to put some thought into what you want out of it. What do you hope to achieve with your fitness and lifestyle by doing Kick-start? Set some targets so you have something to aim for and make sure to write these down so you can refer to them as you go along.
The next step is to be clear about why you want to achieve your targets with Kick-start. Why is it important to you to feel fitter, to move more and to be stronger? Write these down too.
The main reason I prioritise exercise always comes back to my family. I want to be the best version of myself and I know exercise provides the physical strength and mental balance to do this. Being clear on your reason ‘why’ might not come straight away but it’s important to mull it over. Your ‘why’ will be a powerful force in helping you be consistent and show up, even when it all gets a bit too difficult.
Kick-start is a great opportunity to reboot and find new impetus to get moving. The Healthy Food Guide team are here to support you through the next 12 weeks of the programme, so stay connected through our social media channels and share your journey with us. Go well and remember small steps do lead to big change.
You’ve got this.
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